Working at Atheria is not the typical law firm experience. In fact, it’s far from it.
When Atheria was founded in 2019, we made a conscious effort to be a cut above the rest. We identified what we consider to be the major flaws in the ways in which law is often practiced; how law firms operate; and which team members get a seat at the table.
Then, we vowed to do the exact opposite.
The result was a set of shared core beliefs that we believe would inspire the brightest, most committed legal professionals to stay with Atheria for the long run: diversity, inclusion/mentorship, transparency, and true work / life balance.
Our team members are unquestionably our most important assets. Without them, Atheria simply could not do the first-rate work for which we are known. That is why our top priority is for each of our team members to feel valued, supported, and included here with us. Many of us have worked together for our entire professional careers, including several lawyers who began their careers with our team as paralegals.
Atheria recently made the list of 2022 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area.
At Atheria, diversity is more than checking off boxes or meeting quotas. It’s part of the ethos upon which we were founded.
We strive to create an environment where our employees feel comfortable sharing insight and lived experiences around race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and social justice.
Recent events have underscored the importance of these conversations and the need to create a community that celebrates diversity and supports awareness and allyship in all forms.
Peer-to-peer mentorship programs—Atheria’s robust mentorship program is designed to strengthen our employees’ career growth and development, professional confidence, and relationships with their peers.
Shared space for brainstorming—Each of our employees offers meaningful contributions to our internal conversations and dialogue. We engage all team members—attorneys, non-attorneys, and paralegals—in thoughtful conversations to gain insight on better ways of doing things.
Committees—In addition to the D&I committee, Atheria has several other core committees that help drive impact in a number of areas, including Corporate Culture and Community Involvement; Learning and Development; Wellness and Safety; and Technology.
Training—We offer employee training on a number of “unconventional” yet crucial professional development topics such as imposter syndrome, loneliness, and stress resilience.
Access to internal information—Atheria’s employees have readily available access to information about our firm’s operations, goals and objectives, financial data, and billing.
Set pay scales for all employees—We have set pay scales for our team members, and we don’t deviate from that. We work hard to avoid the outdated “black-box” salary structure that historically have marginalized and penalized underrepresented groups, particularly in the legal profession.
No siloed work approach—At Atheria, our employees are not relegated to their primary areas of practice. We rely heavily on cross-collaboration between our teams to drive the highest-quality solutions for our clients.
Flexible schedules—We have a lower billable hours requirement than most law firms. This reduces stress and burnout, and allows our team members to spend time working on causes that matter to them.
Remote-work environment—Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Atheria supported flexible schedules and a nimble work environment in order to allow a healthy balance with family and personal obligations. All employees are equipped with technology that allows them to work efficiently and effectively from anywhere.
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The most important part of my professional growth has been the opportunity to work closely with partners and cultivate new skills. Because of the willingness of partners to take an extra half hour out of their day to show me how to complete a task for them, I have greatly expanded the amount and types of projects that I am able to do. I feel that because of the devotion of partners to developing younger employees I have become a much more valuable asset to the firm.
Velit Facilis
This organization is full of extremely smart, compassionate people that work very hard for one another. I truly believe in the leadership to create a successful business while being attentive to their employees. I am excited about the mentorship program we are launching and to have the opportunity to move up within an effective and thoughtful company. I am grateful to Atheria and proud to say that I work somewhere so diverse and so dedicated to their clients.
Quo Quidem
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